From Orchards to Estates:
Griffith, a regional city in New South Wales, is a central hub for the area. It is known for its wine dominance - with the surrounding region producing over 75% of New South Wales' wine grapes, and is aptly named "Australia's Food Bowl" for its agricultural products such as nuts, citrus, prunes and more.
The city sits on the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA), a massive artificial network of canals, channels, and highly regulated water systems established in 1912. This engineering feat has had a flow-on effect: Griffith is an innovation hub for world-class engineering, irrigation, and processing firms.
Although wine, agriculture, food and advanced manufacturing heavily bolster the region's economy, the city suffers from a housing shortage that requires rapid, large-scale civil subdivision development. It also affects local businesses, as a lack of worker accommodation limits the ability to grow and support key industries.
When building new homes, the area's plumbing and drainage are tricky, and the regulatory requirements are meticulous, with council and MI Engineers inspecting every trench, pit spacing, and connection cut-in before a subdivision is legally declared habitable.
Navigating the region's unique irrigation plains, flat topography prone to sudden and severe downpours, and strict council requirements is no small feat. It's no surprise that local Griffith company B&C Plumbing & Civil has been around since the 80s, with extensive experience understanding the complexities of working in the area - plumbing is in the soil!
Meeting the Demand
Attach2 caught up with Craig Barrington, Director of B&C Plumbing and Civil, to discuss the nuts and bolts of it all. Starting as a plumbing company, the team sensed the need in the area and now delivers complete, start-to-end subdivisions.
“We come in and box out the roads, put in all the sewer, stormwater, and water mains, and create the roads. Anything to do with the subdivision from the beginning right to the very end, sealing of the roads, everything is all done by B&C Plumbing.” He explains.
With the experience and team that he leads, it is no wonder that they do it all. He credits this as a point of difference compared to other companies that do similar work.
“We're basically a bigger company than anybody else around this area, and everything that we have is in-house - all our workers are in-house and reliable. We can do anything from start to finish and don't have to rely on anybody else to do it. We undertake all that ourselves and get it done efficiently.”
Primarily based in the Griffith area, the team also branch out to Yoogali, Hanwood, Darlington Point, Coleambally, Hay, and Hillston.
Subdivision works, with sewer mains and stormwater mains, are their bread and butter, and there is no shortage of jobs. Given the terrain, they are also brought in to build a few flood levees for the state government, having done one at Yoogali Darlington Point, and another at Hanwood.
The Project(s) on the Ground
The team at B&C are currently working on stage 1 with a 40-lot subdivision. Craig tells us that by the end of the project, around 400 houses will be built in this area to extend Griffith's growth.
The scope, as usual, is huge. But it is prideful work, a local company quite literally building the future of Griffith.
They weren’t kidding when he said they did it all: “We're boxing out the roads, common trenches, subgrade and base grade of roads to be done and the sealing of the roads at the end of the job and handing it back to the developer.” Craig tells us.
With around 20 subdivisions in the area under their belt, the team at B&C continues to build on their reputation as industry leaders.
In addition to the aforementioned 40-lot subdivision, the team is also out at Lake Wyangan, preparing for housing developments.
“We're getting all the infrastructure ready for Griffith City Council. Stormwater drainage, getting that sorted and put in place so when the subdivisions get there, we'll be able to cope with the runoff from the rain.” Craig explains.
With huge projects in their past and on their horizon, we wanted to know about some memorable achievements from Craig.
“One of our most notable projects that we have completed in the last 12 months would be Yambil Street. It runs parallel right behind the main street of Griffith, Banna Avenue. We redeveloped the entire length of the street, incorporating all the local businesses. From there, we went to Darlington Point and completed the flood levee out there, and then came back into Hanwood and did another flood levee, which is now actively protecting those towns from rising floodwaters.”
Precision in Practice
Craig’s relationship with Attach2 started when a rep came into their yard and showed them the product. We wanted to hear from Craig how it was tracking and what he used the equipment for when he needed that level of accuracy.
"I love the reliability of the Attach2 product (Ram-Tilt Coupler). We've never had any dramas with them, and they've always been reliable. Whether it's digging on a flat piece of ground or putting a batter on the trench, it's always been there, and it's always done what it's had to do. The tilt is very reliable and makes life a lot easier for the operator.”
“The Tilt also makes us closer to the mark when we have to dig a trench with a batter,” he tells us. “You set it to the angle you need, and away you go. The machine will pull through at that angle, and there will be no movement in the angle.”
The Road Ahead
There is no slowing down in sight for B&C Plumbing, with many more subdivision projects in the future, housing the community that they have been a part of for decades.
“The arrangement we have with Attach2 will definitely grow. With the backup service and everything that we receive, they're always following up on their machinery and making sure that we're looked after.” Craig tells us.
For the team at B&C Plumbing, working on massive housing developments in their local area is a labour of love. It reminds us that the innovative thinking and engineering spirit from over a century ago is still alive and well today. They are quite literally paving the way for Griffith's future.
